Another of Jody's paintings...banned from Disneyland!
CRASH! BANG! All that reckless driving has apparently done us in, but the kid in the striped shirt isn't phased. He's still merrily on his way, in spite of the little devils laughing at his predicament in this original acrylic painting by Jody Daily.
Sadly, you'll never see this fabulous art piece for sale at Disneyland because Disney's legal department gave it the axe. Why? Your guess is as good as mine, but this glowing red creation of Jody's is one of my utmost favorites. I love the gaping --but subtle-- "Mouth of Hell" at the top of the painting, with the mangled train tracks and, just beyond, the cool moonlit countryside where moments earlier, we were enjoying a wild ride in Mr. Toad's motorcar.
The "Mouth of Hell" welcomes us with fiery blacklight in
this 1955 photo taken inside the Disneyland dark ride.
The Victorian-era "Cabaret de l'Enfer" (Hell Cabaret) was a popular Paris nightclub in the 1890s. To my mind, it was the direct inspiration for Disneyland's version of the underworld.
Cabaret de l'Enfer in 1952, not long before it closed forever. Note the metal roll-down gate.
The "Cabaret de l'Enfer" was located in the Montmarte neighborhood of Paris, not far from other more famous nightspots such as the Moulin Rouge and the Gran-Guignol.
In Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, we encounter devils and demons gleefully reaching out at us with pitchforks in a subterranean cavern...
...and in the above 1910 photo of the interior of the Cabaret de l'Enfer, it's obvious a similar theme was carried out even then. This is fascinating stuff to me, and if you'd like to learn more, please check out the EXCELLENT "Long Forgotten" Blog.
A maquette for one of the devils in Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, circa, 1982.
Images from an eBay Auction, circa 2002.
